


The Intricacies of Magical Etiquette

by MayorHaggar



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Tutoring, Wizengamot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-02
Updated: 2016-07-02
Packaged: 2018-07-19 17:18:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,977
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7370608
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MayorHaggar/pseuds/MayorHaggar
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Harry needs Daphne to tutor him so he won't make a fool of himself in the Wizengamot, she suggests a very unique method of compensation.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Intricacies of Magical Etiquette

**I.**

Daphne Greengrass shook her head and smirked as she glanced at the front page of the morning edition of _The Daily Prophet_. She'd known what today's top story would be long before the owl had delivered the paper. After all, she'd had a wonderful view of the entire debacle.

 _'Ignorant Potter Ignores Procedure!'_ by Daniel Haworth. There was even an accompanying picture that showed Potter's glaring face at the very moment he'd earned this headline. Apparently the man was never going to learn his lesson. She'd stopped counting months ago, but surely Potter's belligerent behavior had been the source of at least a dozen similar stories in the last year alone. It would be funny if it wasn't so repetitive.

A knock at her office door gave Daphne pause. Very few people in the Ministry came in for work this early, and this was especially true among her colleagues in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. Ordinarily it would be at least another two to three hours before anyone else in the department arrived outside of a few lower level members of the rank and file who were too timid to actually approach her.

"Who is it?" she casually inquired as her hand dropped to her wand in its holster. The war was long over, but it never hurt to be cautious.

"It's Harry," a masculine voice called out. "Harry Potter. Can I come in, Daphne, or do you want me to come back later?"

Now she was truly intrigued. Though she had never antagonized Potter or his friends at Hogwarts, he was blatant in his distrust for anyone who had been in Slytherin. He had never once attempted to initiate a conversation with her, and she could think of no reason why he'd do so now.

"Now is as good a time as any, I suppose." Briefly she considered discarding the paper or at least moving it out of sight, but then she pictured him walking in, seeing the paper and scowling in the same way he had on the picture that graced the front page, and the thought amused her enough that she left the paper right where it was.

The mahogany door slowly pulled open from the outside, and in stepped Potter. He wasn't wearing his dark red Auror robes, so she could only assume that he was not currently on duty. That made his presence even more curious, but at the moment Daphne was too busy appreciating his casual attire to give it much thought. She only encountered him at work or during Wizengamot sessions, so seeing him in a v-neck and jeans was a welcome change. He was in fine physical shape despite being on the smaller side, and the shirt gave her a better look at his wiry upper body then she'd ever had before.

"Something I can do for you, Mr. Potter?" she asked, making sure she made direct eye contact with her visitor. "Your choice of attire suggests that you aren't on the clock, so I must confess I'm confused as to why you're here at all."

"Nah, King gave me the day off," he said. It took her a moment to figure out who 'King' was, and then another moment to marvel at him referring to the Minister for Magic so casually, but he didn't give her much time to ponder it. "I actually came in to talk to you."

"Oh?" She arched one delicate brow, now truly intrigued. "And what did you wish to speak to me about, Mr. Potter? If this has something to do with Magical Creatures, you really should have made an appointment ahead of time."

"No, nothing like that," he said dismissively. He broke eye contact and glanced around the room, then suddenly grimaced. She followed his line of sight and saw that he'd discovered the paper she left on her desk.

"Not the most flattering headline," she commented. "Though you really should be accustomed to it by now, no offense intended." She half-expected him to lose his temper and fly off the handle just like he had during the Wizengamot session, but rather than getting angry he surprised her by nodding sheepishly.

"Yeah, I kind of am." He ran his hand through his hair, which made it somehow even untidier than it usually was. She found it oddly endearing, though she'd never admit it. "That's actually what I'm here for. I was wondering if you would tutor me before the next Wizengamot session so I don't make such an arse out of myself."

"I see." She managed to keep the shock out of her voice, but it was a close thing. "I was under the impression that you didn't much care for the, as you so eloquently put it just yesterday, _'absurd Pure-blood bullshit'_ of the Wizengamot." She'd thought the remark would cause him some degree of embarrassment, but he just snorted in amusement.

"I don't, not really," he admitted. "All of the little rules of etiquette, the pointless talk about nothing of consequence that eats up half of our time, the passive-aggressive arguments and the petty shots between the feuding factions that change their loyalties every other month. Honestly, I think it's a load of rubbish."

"Why do you have any interest in tutoring if you hate the entire concept so much?" she asked incredulously. 

"I need help because even if I don't like how it operates, any of the changes our society needs to make have to go through the Wizengamot. Trying to make my point only to have it rejected because I didn't phrase it in the right way or make it at the right time or get the right faction's support beforehand is a giant waste of time and accomplishes nothing. I have to learn all of this stuff whether I want to or not."

"It's refreshing to see you're learning how the game is played. Given your usual outbursts when one of your proposals is rejected, I didn't think you would ever realize how ineffective your blunt and confrontational approach is."

"Even Gryffindors can figure out when something isn't working. It just takes us a little longer than most," he said with a wry smile. "Well, some of us. I'm sure Hermione would've done loads better, but she's a Muggleborn and I've got a hereditary seat, so you lot are stuck with me."

"More's the pity," she said, returning the smile for a moment. "But why do you need me to tutor you in the first place? Surely you could just order a book on the subject."

"Hermione suggested that to me months ago, and I couldn't find one. Then she looked, and even _she_ couldn't find a single book on the subject. If she can't find something in a book, then no one has ever written about it."

"I hadn't considered that." He had a point. As the eldest child of a family with a hereditary seat, the intricacies of the Wizengamot had been a topic her parents had spent a great deal of time and effort teaching her from the time she was very young, and they'd told her not to discuss such lessons with anyone outside the family. She'd never stopped to think about it, but the Wizengamot was a very closed-off group that resisted outside influences, so it stood to reason that information on its inner workings would be restricted. "I guess that also explains why you can't get help from any of your friends and instead have to turn to me."

"Yep," he agreed. "I asked Ron and Neville already, but neither of them were able to help."

"Only natural, considering the Longbottoms lost their seat several generations ago and the Weasleys have never had one." Daphne pulled out her wand and conjured a chair on the opposite side of her desk, nodding for Harry to be seated. "We've established why you've come to me," she stated as he plopped down into the chair. "What I've yet to hear is what you will do for me in return." As he made himself comfortable, she placed her elbows on the desk and leaned forward to look into his emerald eyes. She could recall giggling about how "dreamy" his eyes were during whispered late-night conversations at Hogwarts with her best friend Tracey, and time had not changed her opinion. Still, she was all business at the moment.

"Well, an official alliance between families is very important in the Wizengamot," he said, not shying away from her challenging stare. "I figured we could announce that House Potter and House Greengrass have agreed to ally ourselves."

"Assuming our hypothetical tutoring works and you learn how to conduct yourself without causing a scene, that would be something to consider," she said, ignoring the way the honest statement about his current skills made him wince. "That would be more of a mutually beneficial action, however, so it doesn't exactly qualify as a favor. Surely you know how our society works by now. If you want something from me, you have to be prepared to offer me something in return."

"I know the Greengrasses are pretty wealthy, so I guess just paying you isn't going to be acceptable." Daphne didn't speak and merely gestured for him to continue, but she was inwardly pleased that he'd at least studied up enough to know that her family had gold aplenty. It was an encouraging sign that she'd be able to shape him into a respectable player of the game if she did decide to tutor him. "I could teach you about the Muggle world," he offered, though it sounded more like a question. "From what I've seen, most wizards, Purebloods especially, are a lot more clueless about Muggles than I am about the Wizengamot."

"That's true enough, and my family is no exception," she admitted. "Rectifying that couldn't hurt, but you need to learn about the Wizengamot far more than I need to learn about Muggles." She actually thought it would be quite useful for her to learn about Muggle society and customs, particularly with the growing influence of Muggleborns like Hermione Granger, but she was too savvy to say as much while they were still negotiating. "It's a decent start, but you'll have to offer something else in addition."

She fell silent and sat back, watching and waiting for a response. He adopted a look of deep concentration as he tried to come up with something, but Daphne was preoccupied by thoughts of her own. An idea was beginning to take shape in her mind, and reckless though it was, she couldn't seem to dismiss it. She could just imagine her mother's scandalized face if she ever learned that her eldest daughter made this proposal, never mind if she actually went through with it!

"I'm coming up empty," Harry said at last. She nodded distractedly, knowing that this was the moment of truth. Was she actually going to suggest this? 

"If there's nothing else you can offer, I suppose sexual favors would be acceptable," she said as matter-of-factly as she could manage. It was only years of instruction and practice that allowed her to maintain a calm facade when in reality her heart felt like it wanted to burst out of her chest. Potter stared at her in open-mouthed shock for a moment before he burst into startled laughter.

"Very funny," he said, chuckling. He continued to chuckle for a few moments more, but when she only stared back at him seriously the chuckling stopped and the smile faded. "Wait, you _are_ joking, right?" he asked uncertainly, and she shook her head.

"It's not nearly as common now as it was in previous generations, and even then it was almost always the woman offering her body as payment rather than the man. But this kind of arrangement is still used on occasion, and as there doesn't seem to be anything else you can offer, I don't see much other alternative. Unless you would rather continue to make a fool of yourself in the Wizengamot?" 

She could see that his mind was still reeling from her proposal, and truthfully her own head was spinning a bit as well. She'd found Potter attractive since she was a schoolgirl, though she'd had enough sense to never admit it to anyone bar Tracey back then, but she had never once even entertained the thought of approaching him. And she most definitely had never imagined she'd be offering to engage in this particular custom with anyone!

"Uh...wow, sorry, but this is a lot to take in," he said at last, still looking and sounding dazed and confused. "This isn't the sort of thing Muggles do. Well, I guess that's not really true, but it's not socially acceptable at least."

"I guess that was my first lesson on Muggles," she quipped, trying to lighten the mood with a bit of humor. He smiled weakly, and she grinned back at him. "Just like most other deals to cement an alliance or secure a critical vote, arrangements such as this are generally kept private, but they are still perfectly acceptable and not illegal in any way. You would not be in any danger of losing your job, your seat or anything of the sort should our deal come to light for whatever reason."

"Good to know." He had been staring off at nothing in particular, but suddenly looked back at Daphne. "Why'd you suggest this, anyway? Do you fancy me?"

"Fancy? Not exactly," she said, shrugging. "I do find you reasonably attractive, and as I'm currently single and have done without for far too long, it seemed like a worthwhile suggestion. I'm assuming you're also unattached?"

"No, yeah, I'm single," he confirmed. "Have been since Ginny and I broke it off." She'd expected as much, because if Potter was even seen in the same vicinity as a woman the Prophet would turn it into front page news. Still, it was good to have removed all doubt.

"We're both free to do as we want, then," she said. "That means the decision rests entirely with you. Do you accept the terms I've proposed?" She held her breath as she awaited his answer. Even though it had been a spontaneous offer, she was going to be more than a bit disappointed if he refused.

Most men would have accepted without a moment's hesitation. Situations just like this one were very popular in the erotic fiction books some of her dorm mates at Hogwarts had picked up from a certain shop in Knockturn Alley. Potter, it seemed, was not most men. He was biting his lower lip and staring down at the floor, making her wait as he deliberated. Why was he being so indecisive about this?

Just when she had run out of patience and was seconds away from telling him she'd changed her mind and the offer was rescinded, he looked into her eyes and nodded.

"I accept," he said. Now that he'd reached his decision he looked and sounded stronger and more confident. He held out his hand for her to shake; amused, she reached across her desk and placed her hand in his. He shook it firmly, and she had to marvel at how formal it all felt, especially considering what it was they'd just agreed to.

After they spent a few minutes working out some of the finer details, he excused himself and got up to leave so she could get back to her work. He opened the door and stepped out, but just before he closed it behind him he looked back at her over his shoulder.

"Pleasure doing business with you," he said with a grin. The door shut closed, and she giggled to herself.

 _'The pleasure will most definitely be mutual.'_

**II.**

"Relax, Harry," Daphne whispered into his ear. "Just remember everything I've taught you and you'll be fine."

Harry (he'd ceased being 'Potter' to her weeks ago) nodded, took a deep breath and stood up to make his proposal before the Wizengamot. A hush fell over their fellow members, who had been eyeing Harry and Daphne with great interest since they'd walked into today's meeting together. Word of their affiliation had spread quickly thanks to the private negotiations and vote-gathering they'd done together in preparation for today's Wizengamot session, but this was their first formal appearance as allies within the Wizengamot itself. Harry's performance today would reflect on her as well, for better or worse. They both had no shortage of rivals who would gleefully drag both of their names through the mud if the day went poorly, but she was not worried. She'd taught him well. 

Tutoring Harry had been difficult at times, especially when they first started. It wasn't really teaching the various customs and rules of etiquette of the Wizengamot itself that gave her trouble, as it hadn't taken her long to discover that he was a quick study when focused on the subject matter. The true challenge had been helping him learn how to control his blunt, at times tactless demeanor. Subtlety was a vital skill in the Wizengamot, and Harry's natural instincts were about as subtle as a bludger to the head. Thankfully, after well over a month of her relentless tutoring he'd learned how to control himself when the situation called for it. He'd performed flawlessly during all of the out-of-session negotiations, and she was confident today's performance would be equally satisfying.

 _'Though not nearly as satisfying as his performance last night'_ , she thought to herself, suppressing her grin only with great effort. She was too skilled at the game to crack a smile during a discussion on werewolf rights, even if the memory of Harry's face underneath her skirt and between her thighs was dancing through her head.

She had been concerned that the sexual component of their little arrangement would be awkward, but she needn't have worried. Despite his initial shock and hesitation when she first suggested it, he was not at all reluctant once he committed himself. To her great thrill, he was just as quick a study in the bedroom as he was during all of their other lessons. She had enjoyed sex well enough with both of her previous partners, but sex with Harry was nothing short of mind-blowing. She was seriously going to miss it.

Daphne was also going to miss _him_ , but that was something she tried not to dwell on. She was honest enough with herself to admit that she would like their business arrangement to morph into something more personal, but he was going to have to make the first move this time. He hadn't given any indication that he wanted to continue seeing her once their tutoring sessions were finished, so she wasn't going to force the matter. That was an issue for another time though. Right now she wanted to observe the fruits of her labor.

Harry was making his points in favor of improved werewolf rights eloquently and with care not to say anything that could be construed as insulting towards the more conservative members who opposed reform. She could see that the Wizengamot at large was impressed with this new and improved Lord Potter, and she caught a few impressed glances sent her way. It was no secret that she'd been the one to tutor him, and his performance today was going to reflect very well on both her and House Greengrass as a whole.

Daphne allowed herself a small smile when Lord Parkinson rose from his seat. Parkinson was the quintessential pureblood supremacist, and in the past he'd been one of Harry's chief antagonists. It had actually been Parkinson's goading that led to the spirited outburst and accompanying headline during the last Wizengamot session. Doubtless he hoped to play a similar role today, but he was in for a rude awakening. While before he had seemed to know just what to say to make Harry lose his cool and cause a scene, all of his attempts to bait the boy hero were fruitless today. Harry did just as she'd taught him, ignoring Parkinson's veiled barbs and responding to his objections calmly. He blew massive holes in Parkinson's flimsy arguments to the point that neither Parkinson or any of his allies could say a word in defense of their position, and he did it all without saying or doing a single thing that breached Wizengamot etiquette.

Harry realized that his point was made and ceded the floor so other business could be discussed. He shot Daphne a grateful smile as he sat down, and she smiled back. Harry's newfound political acumen, when paired with his status as a legitimate hero, was going to make him a major force in the Wizengamot. And she was going to be right there for it all, as his ally if nothing else.

**III.**

"You might want to start walking, Daphne."

Daphne's head whipped around at the sound of Harry's voice. As she began to take note of her surroundings, she peeked over her shoulder and saw several impatient-looking people standing behind her. With a muttered apology, she stepped out of their way and walked towards Harry. He could not hide the smirk on his face as he watched her approach, which got him a scowl in return.

"You looked absolutely fascinated," he said as he began walking again. "It reminded me of how I felt the first time I saw Hogwarts."

"That makes sense," she said, following close behind him. "I'm sure you were in awe of it, just like I'm in awe now." Though he was continuing to walk straight ahead without bothering to glance around at the sights, it was all she could do not to come to a complete stop so she could look at all of the new and interesting things surrounding her.

Harry looked over his shoulder at her with a raised eyebrow. Apparently he was confused by her honest fascination with this strange, foreign place he'd brought her to.

"We're in an electronics store."

"Yes, so you told me earlier. You were right, too; this really is fascinating!" He was now staring at her like she'd grown a second head, and he wasn't the only one baffled by her. A middle-aged couple walked past, and she could hear the woman call her a nutter under her breath.

"Err, I didn't ask you out tonight to come here. I just want to check on the price of something really quick, and then we can get on with our actual night."

"You mean it's going to get even more interesting than this?" She had a hard time believing that anything could top all of these giant moving pictures and brightly flashing lights.

"Yes. Or at least I hope so, but you're finding this much more interesting than I would've thought, so who knows how you'll react?"

"I take it that Muggles see these sorts of places regularly, and that's the reason no one is stopping and staring?" Daphne asked. 

"Right," Harry said. He was facing away from her now and seemed to be looking back and forth between a few specific items the store offered for sale. "These things are just part of everyday life in the Muggle world, but I guess I should have realized it would have seemed really foreign to you. Ron's dad is more interested in Muggles than any pureblood wizard I've ever met, and he can't even pronounce the _word_ electricity. He'd probably have a heart attack if I ever brought him here."

Daphne giggled at that. She couldn't claim to know the man well, but Harry had brought her along to a big party at the home his best mate Ron grew up in, and she had been introduced to both of his parents. Mr. Weasley was an excitable fellow to say the least. She and Harry hadn't been there for ten minutes before he pulled him aside to ask about some Muggle contraption she'd never heard of before. While Mr. Weasley had welcomed her into his home happily, she got the impression that Ron's mother didn't like her much. The woman had been perfectly polite, but it was easy to see that she wasn't happy about her presence. It was even easier to see why, considering she used every excuse she could think of to isolate Harry and Ginny from everyone else. The Weasley matriarch already treated Harry like a son but it seemed that she had her heart set on that becoming more of an official title. She was doomed to disappointment on that count. Harry and Ginny were good friends now, and both agreed that it was for the best that their relationship remain exactly that. 

The bigger hindrance to "one big happy Weasley family", as Hermione had jokingly referred to Mrs. Weasley's fantasies, was Daphne herself. Much to her relief, she hadn't seen any less of Harry after his performance in the Wizengamot. Quite the contrary in fact, as they got together at least once or twice a week, and even more frequently than that when their schedules permitted. They'd never actually talked about what exactly their relationship was, but their "dates" were fun and the sex somehow continued to get better, so Daphne was perfectly content with how things were for the moment.

Harry was now conversing with an employee of the store, asking him questions that might as well have been spoken in gobbledygook for all the sense they made to Daphne. Harry seemed to understand the information just fine though, because he thanked the employee and told him he would likely be back within the next few weeks to purchase the television they'd been discussing.

"Sorry about the wait," he said to Daphne once he was finished. "We can get going now." He held out his hand to her, and after a pause she took it and allowed him to lead her out of the store. The sudden giddy feeling coursing through her reminded her of how she'd felt as a twelve year old girl just starting to realize that maybe boys weren't so disgusting after all (well, some of them at least.) The electronic devices that had utterly fascinated her minutes earlier went entirely ignored as they left the store.

She felt a desperate need to start talking, primarily so her brain could focus on something other than her deep affection for the man holding her hand. After a few moments of silently walking down the sidewalk hand-in-hand, she landed on a topic of discussion.

"What're you buying a television for? I thought you already had one." She'd never actually watched the Muggle devices and had never seen one in active use before this trip to the electronics store, but she had noticed one in Harry's flat.

"I do, but it's kind of dated. I'm thinking of upgrading to a newer, bigger model soon."

"Really? It looked like the one you have now barely fit where it was at. Where are you going to put it?"

As she was looking over at him when she asked, she did not miss the way Harry's face suddenly broke out in a nervous grimace. Why would such an innocent question trouble him so much?

"Harry? Is something wrong?" 

"Err, no, not really. You're right that I don't really have room for it at my flat. I'm actually thinking about moving into a bigger place soon." Now his nervousness was apparent in his voice as well, and it made her nervous in turn.

"Oh? Have a place picked out?" She had to rely on her training to sound casual and unaffected by the question, but internally she couldn't help but worry about what he was (or more accurately _wasn't_ ) telling her.

"Not yet, no. I was, well..." he broke off, looking as if he was trying to decide whether to finish his thought.

"What is it, Harry? Whatever it is, you can tell me," she said gently. He still looked uncertain for a moment, but then he seemed to reach a decision. He nodded decisively and brought them to a stop in the middle of the sidewalk.

"Sod it," he said. Without warning, she felt the sudden pull of apparition. Daphne stumbled in surprise, then looked around at the familiar furnishings of her flat. She was just about to ask him why he'd brought them back here when he gently nudged her shoulder and turned her so they were standing face-to-face. 

"I don't want to live in my small little flat anymore," he said. "And I don't want to live by myself anymore either."

"W-what are you saying?" she asked breathlessly. She was as nervous as she'd ever been in her life, but Harry looked perfectly calm now as he stared into her eyes with a smile. Much like she'd discovered at the beginning of their little arrangement, once he committed to something he did not look back. Now that he'd decided to tell her whatever it was that was on his mind, he was not going to hesitate.

"I love you, Daphne," he said, and she was sure a more perfect sentence had never been spoken. "I want you to move in with me."

She'd been trained to maintain her composure when discussing a long-term arrangement with a potential suitor. The 'proper' etiquette was to essentially treat this as a business negotiation and secure the best terms possible for both herself and her family. Deciding that etiquette could well and truly bugger off, Daphne threaded her hands through her boyfriend's hair and rose up to kiss him.

She'd taught him a great deal about how to conduct himself in their world, but it seemed that he'd also taught her a thing or two along the way.


End file.
